New farmers market open in Carillon Beach

Published: Monday, June 10, 2013 at 08:25 PM.

“It gets busy on Monday nights, so we thought it would be good to have something in the morning to get everything going,” Mayer said.

The plan is to host the market through Sept. 2, but the Mayers hope to extend it through the fall if possible. Mayer said the market has been well-received so far, with 16 vendors signed up to sell their goods.

“Everyone here is very family-oriented and very supportive,” Mayer said. “It’s a tight-knit community.”

About 10 vendors lined the plaza Monday morning, including Carden and his vending partner Dawn Stewart.

In addition to biscuits, the duo specializes in a variety of baked goods including banana nut, zucchini and pumpkin
brea
ds, peanut brittle and chocolate and peanut butter fudge.

“We’re happy with it so far—I think it’s got potential,” Carden said from behind a table of saran-wrapped treats. “I’d like to see them go on and continue into the fall with the snowbirds here. The snowbirds made the Grand Lagoon Market last fall.”

For many of the vendors, the Carillon market offers another opportunity to sell their goods in the area, in addition to farmers markets in Grand Lagoon and Lynn Haven.

And thanks to a new farmers market on the west end of Panama CityBeach, Springfield resident Jimmy Carden now has another place to sell his famous garlic cheddar biscuits.

Monday marked the second week for the CarillonBeach Farmers Market, a weekly all-day market located on Carillon Market Street in a pedestrian area lined with shops and cafés.

It was from one of those cafés where the idea for the farmers market emerged.

Andy and Leia Mayer, owners of the Sunrise Café, recently moved to the area from northern California and felt there was something missing in the area.

“This area here seemed like it needed something different, so we put (the market) together,” said Andy Mayer, who has also integrated local produce sales from local farms and from his own garden into the Sunrise Café routine. “We actually went last week and picked the blueberries ourselves, and the tomatoes are from our garden.”

The Carillon Beach Farmers Market begins at 8 a.m. and vendors are invited to stay through the evening, as the area hosts a free “Groovin’ on the Green” concert series every Monday from 7-9 p.m.

“It gets busy on Monday nights, so we thought it would be good to have something in the morning to get everything going,” Mayer said.

The plan is to host the market through Sept. 2, but the Mayers hope to extend it through the fall if possible. Mayer said the market has been well-received so far, with 16 vendors signed up to sell their goods.

“Everyone here is very family-oriented and very supportive,” Mayer said. “It’s a tight-knit community.”

About 10 vendors lined the plaza Monday morning, including Carden and his vending partner Dawn Stewart.

In addition to biscuits, the duo specializes in a variety of baked goods including banana nut, zucchini and pumpkin breads, peanut brittle and chocolate and peanut butter fudge.

“We’re happy with it so far—I think it’s got potential,” Carden said from behind a table of saran-wrapped treats. “I’d like to see them go on and continue into the fall with the snowbirds here. The snowbirds made the Grand Lagoon Market last fall.”

For many of the vendors, the Carillon market offers another opportunity to sell their goods in the area, in addition to farmers markets in Grand Lagoon and Lynn Haven.